Radical behaviorism and psychology's public: B. F. Skinner in the popular press, 1934–1990.

Abstract

B. F. Skinner is perhaps 2nd only to Freud among the most publicly identifiable psychological figures of the last century. This article reviews the popular press coverage of Skinner between 1934 and 1990 to examine how radical behaviorism was interpreted, portrayed, and received by psychology's public. Reactions to Skinner were often skeptical or condemnatory. It is suggested that some members of the public had difficulty accepting his views because of the disparities between the philosophy of radical behaviorism and the phenomenology of everyday experience. Furthermore, Skinner's status as a psychological expert was inextricably linked to the public's perception of his credibility not only as a scientist but also as a human being.

Introduction of e-learning in dental radiology reveals significantly improved results in final examination

“…This principle is applicable to quizzes within the e-learning module. When giving a correct answer, the learner would be rewarded and keep the right answer in mind (Rutherford, 2000). The learner builds fragmented knowledge resulting in good retention but with poor transfer performance (Bransford and Brown, 2000).…”

Bibliographic processes and products, and a bibliography of the published primary-source works of B. F. Skinner

“…The process and products of qualitative researchfor instance, descriptions, reviews, narratives, and interpretations-are, most commonly, historical, biographical, and conceptual in nature. With respect to Skinner, a comprehensive bibliography might aid further research into his life (e.g., Bjork, 1993) and career (e.g., Elms, 1981), aspects or periods of both (e.g., Smith & Woodward, 1996), and categories thereof (e.g., Skinner in the popular press; see Rutherford, 2000Rutherford, , 2003. Such research might also further illuminate his science of behavior (e.g., its methods, apparatus; see, e.g., Coleman, 1996), applied innovations (e.g., programmed instruction; see Vargas & Vargas, 1996), conceptual analyses (e.g., verbal behavior; see, e.g., Coleman, 1985), and contributions in various content domains (e.g., educational psychology; see Morris, 2003).…”

B. F. Skinner's technology of behavior in American life: From consumer culture to counterculture

“…Writers for the popular press and lay readers have also identified Skinner as a figure worthy of intense social debate (see Dinsmoor, 1992;Rutherford, 2000). Recently, Bjork has suggested in his biography of Skinner that the heated criticism he has evoked "is culturally and intellectually significant, for such generally negative opinion suggests that Skinner -regardless of the truth or error of his position -has touched something that .…”